Georgia

Georgia by the Numbers:
Key Statistical Data and Facts

Key Details

• Georgia is the 8th most populous state in the U.S., with 10,912,876 residents and 3.8 million families as of 2022. 
• As of 2022, Brian P. Kemp (R) serves as the 83rd governor of Georgia. 
• In 2019, 31% of Georgians aged 25 years and over were bachelor's degrees holders, while 39% had associate degrees or above 
• Between August 2022 and March 2023, Georgia’s unemployment rate stood at 3.1%.  
• As of 2020, the average life expectancy for males is 67.74 years and 77.87 years for females. 
• A crime is committed in Georgia every 2 minutes and 47 seconds. 

Georgia Population Demographics

Located in the Southeastern United States, Georgia shares borders with multiple US states, including Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, and Alabama.

According to 2022 Census estimates, the Peach State is home to 10,912,876 residents, making it the 8th most populous state in the US (about 3.2% of the U.S. population).

Over 3.8 million families live in Georgia. Based on age, individuals under 18 years make up 23.4% of the population. This amounts to about one in every four Georgian compared to 14.7% for those aged 65 years and above (one in every seven persons).

In addition, 5.9% of the population are five years and under. Also, females account for 51.2% of Georgia’s population, while males account for 48.8%.

Data from the U.S. Census Bureau shows that as of 2021, Georgia's population comprises 5,269,761 males and 5,529,805 females.

Georgia Housing

Between 2017 and 2021

4,475,274 housing

Georgia has an average of 4,475,274 housing units as of 2021.

64.5%

In addition, 64.5% of housing units in the state are owner-occupied units with a median value of $206,700.

2.67 people

An average Georgian home consists

$1,514 and $456

The average monthly owner rates for homes with and without mortgages in Georgia are $1,514 and $456 (these figures are less than the national averages of $1,697 and $538).

Georgia Racial Demographics

Georgia's population comprises people of different races in varying proportions. Although the state’s race statistics show a higher percentage of White Americans followed closely by Americans of African origin, there is a large Hispanic population, in addition to Asian, American Indian, Alaskan, Hawaiian, and Pacific Islanders.

Elections in Georgia

Georgia is often a battleground state during U.S. general elections. Between 1970 to 2020, there has been an alternating mix in the leadership of Georgia between the Democrats and Republicans.

The Republican party won the five governorship elections in the state from 2002 to 2022. Before this, the Democratic party held sway for the previous twenty years, from 1978 to 1998. As of 2022, the state governor (RepublicanBrian P. Kemp) is serving a second term in office as the 83rd governor of Georgia.

At the U.S. Senate, the two representatives from Georgia are the Democratic party’s Jon Ossoff (senior senator) and Raphael Warnock (junior senator), who are up for re-election in 2026 and 2028. In addition, Georgia has 14 representatives in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Eligible voters wishing to vote during elections in the Georgi register through the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office.

2020 Presidential Election

In 2020, Joe Biden (Democratic party) won the 16 Electoral College Votes available for Georgia with 49.5% of the valid votes (2,474,507 popular votes). His opponent, Donald Trump (Republican), had 2,461,854 votes (49.2%).

Donald Trump

Joe Biden

Georgia was a key battleground and a swing state in the 2020 presidential elections. The then-incumbent president, Donald J. Trump, accused the Democratic party of falsifying results.

Georgia Voting Statistics

Georgia has 7,919,203 registered voters comprising 7,081,861 active voters and 837,342 inactive voters as of May 2023. For the November 2020 presidential elections in the United States, over 5.23 million voters registered in Georgia.

A 2014 survey by the Pew Research Center showed that party affiliation is split evenly between the Democratic and Republican parties, each having 41% of registered voters in the state.

Voter turnout for the 2022 general elections in Georgia was 3,963,030, 56.9% of the registered active voters for the period. In November 2020, 4,998,482 voters in Georgia voted for their candidates of choice in the general elections (about 60.9% of the state registered voters as of the time of the elections).

General Election

How Educated in Georgia

In 2019, 31% of Georgia residents aged 25 years and over were bachelor's degrees holders, while 39% have associate degrees or above. However, a 2021 Census survey showed that these figures have dropped slightly, and as of 2021,

26.7% of Georgians aged 25 years and over are high school graduates or have equivalent education. 20.9% of residents in this age bracket have a bachelor’s degree. Also, 13.7% are graduates or have some form of professional degree, and 8.4% have associate’s degrees.

In Georgia, educational attainment varies with race and is higher in metro areas where it can be up to 50% of residents. For instance, although 4 in every 10 Georgians have a bachelor’s degree. Education attainment statistics in Georgia can be broken down based on race

• Six in 10 Asians and Pacific Islanders
• Three in 10 African-American
• Two in ten Latinos.

Georgia public higher education institutes include 49 schools that cut across universities and technical colleges.

Georgia Employment Rate

Data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics show that between August 2022 and March 2023, Georgia's unemployment rate stood at 3.1%, which is below the national unemployment rate of 3.6%. However, unemployment rates vary across Georgia counties. For instance, while the unemployment rate in Albany and Augusta-Richmond counties is 3.9%, it is 3.3% in Warner Robins County.

As of the first quarter in 2023, 5,096,300 people out of Georgia’s 5,261,300-strong labor force are employed. The employment ratio varies across the different industries in Georgia.

For instance, while the available jobs in the construction sector fell from 221,400 in January to 219,800 in March, the mining and logging sector witnessed a marginal increase of 9,700 to 9,800 additional jobs for the same period.

Average Income in Georgia

The U.S. Census Bureau data show that a typical Georgian household earned an average of $65,030 annually between 2017 and 2021 ($3991 less than the national average of $69,021). However, average income varies across the over 100 counties in the state.

Between 2020 and 2021, six of Georgia's ten largest counties' weekly wage gain was above the national average of 5.9% (Clayton and Chatham averaged 9.9% and 8.2%). Fulton County and Cobb County ranked among the top weekly earners in the U.S. with $1,822 and $1,450.

In contrast, some of Georgia’s smaller counties have wages below the national average of $1,418. For instance, Evans County’s weekly wage of $568 is less than half the state average of $1,292 for that period. A typical Georgian family consists of 2.67 people. A Georgian family with one earner will have a median income of $55,600. For Georgia families with two or three earners, the income rose to $71,504 and $79,980 as of April 2022.

Families in Georgia

Georgia Marriage Rates

Georgia Crime Rates

Georgia averages 41.07 crimes per 1,000 residents. A crime is committed in Georgia every 2 minutes and 47 seconds. Data from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation showed that in 2021, 187,977 crimes were recorded in the state. These comprise 34,037 violent crimes and 153,750 property crimes.

The table below shows the reported index for different crimes in Georgia for 2021.

Crime rates are higher in metropolitan areas than in rural Georgia. Also, crime types differ by age and sex

Profile of Persons Arrested in Georgia in 2021 by Specific Age

Georgia Incarceration Rate

9,737

Data from the Carl Vinson Institute of Government show that in 2022, 9,737 people were incarcerated in various prisons in the state.

586 per 100,000 adult residents

The above stats put Georgia’s incarceration rate for the year

427 per 100,000 residents

In 2021, a U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics publication showed that the incarceration rate in Georgia was 427 per 100,000 residents, a decrease from 433 per 100,000 residents for the previous year.

The rate of incarceration differs for males and females. For instance, the incarceration rate of 819 per 100,000 for males in Georgia in 2021 is higher than 54 per 100,00 for females.

Georgia Bankruptcy Rate

2023

22,815 cases

As of 2022, Georgia has the third highest non-business bankruptcy in the United States with 22,815 cases (after California 31,792, and Florida 26,724). In Georgia, most bankruptcies are filed by individuals or spouses.

Filing for bankruptcy in Georgia may result from impending court cases. While some bankruptcies may result from outstanding medical conditions, other causes like student loans and credit card debts also contribute to non-business bankruptcies. For instance, in Georgia, the average student loan, and credit card debt are $39,273, and $5,693.

There are two common types of bankruptcy Georgia residents leverage on, these are Chapter 7 bankruptcy and Chapter 13 bankruptcy. In Chapter 7 bankruptcy, individuals seek the bankruptcy court to discharge unsecured debt that may include personal loans, credit card debts, and medical treatment bills. Chapter 13 bankruptcy affords wage earners who have fallen behind on debt repayment the opportunity for debt forgiveness.

Data from the American Bankruptcy Institute show that between 2020 and 2022, bankruptcy filing in Georgia relative to its population is more than 25% above the national average. Also, there was an increase in the bankruptcy rate between 2021 and 2022.

Weird Laws in Georgia

Like most states in the U.S, the Goober State has its share of weird laws. Below are some of the weird laws in Georgia.